Riprap.



W. AIRHART.

. RIPBAP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1909. 964, 36, Patented July 12, 1910.

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W. AI-RHART.

RIPRAP. APPLICATION mum 33M. 30, 1909.

Patented July 12, 1910.

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WALTER AIRHART, OF HIGI-IMORE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

BIPRAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TVALTER AIRHART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Highmore, in the county of Hyde and State of South Dakota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Riprap; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the protection of the banks of rivers andstreams from being washed away by the current.

The particular device comprising this invention is commonly called ariprap. It is placed against the bank of a river or stream and by meansof the protection it affords not only prevents the current from washingaway the shore but also turns the channel and makes new land. Thisdevice is especially designed for use along such rivers as the Missouriwhere millions of acres of most valuable land have been cut away by thecurrent.

My invention may also be employed for damming streams for the purpose ofobtaining water power.

The main object of the invention is to provide a durable framework whichwill catch debris carried by the river and retain an accumulation ofsaid debris thereon which will be suflicient to protect the bank fromwashing away and will ultimately form new land.

Another object is to reduce the expense of protecting such streams asthe Missouri river.

My riprap is made in sections which can be conveniently placed inposition at proper places along the side of the bank, each sectionconsisting of a rigid framework suitably braced and carrying parallelstrands of barbed wire placed at proper intervals, the general shape ofthe whole section being triangular in longitudinal vertical section.When in position, the hypotenuse of the triangle, which is substantiallyright-angular, rests upon the bottom of the stream, while the longer legfaces up stream and forms the front of the riprap when the debris hasaccumulated on it.

The invention also consists in the features of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 30, 1909.

Patented July 12, ieio.

Serial No. 520,300.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments ofmy invention: F igure 1 is a side View. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 isa rear end view. Fig. at is a plan view of the device in a river, andFig. 5 is a sectional view of the river.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 designates the rim, of thelonger front side or leg of the riprap, which is preferably made of fourinch pipes forming three sides of said rim, and the strip or plate 3completing a rectangle. Said rim has longitudinal braces 2 and a crossbrace 2 longitudinal braces project some distance in front of the plate3 and are curved as at 8, so that their extremities lie flat on thebottom of the stream when the device is in position.

From the rear top edge of said rim 1 there extends a plurality ofvertical parallel bent pipes 4 similar to those composing said rim.These bent pipes extend first vertically downward and thencehorizontally rearward, the last named portions, designated 5 in thedrawing, forming a part of the hypotenuse of the triangle. The remainingpart of said hypotenuse is formed by strands of barbed wire as will behereinafter explained. Two strips or plates, 6 and 7 respectively, aresecured across the portions 5 of said bent pipes, one of said stripsbeing arranged at the extreme rear end of the de vice and the other nearthe bend at the lower ends of the vertical portions of said bent pipes.Braces 8 connect the lower ends of the vertical portions of the outsidebent pipes 41: to the sides of the rim 1 about midway thereof at thejuncture of the cross brace 2 therewith. Other braces 9 extend from thepoints of attachment of the cross brace 2 horizontally to the verticalportions of the outside bent pipes of the rim. Another brace or pipe 10is arranged crosswise from the junctures of the braces 9 with the bentpipes and is suitably secured to each of said bent pipes. Upon theframework thus formed, there are placed parallel strands of No. 7 barbedwire 11 at preferably three inches apart extending from the plate orstrip 6 forwardly to the strips 7 and 3, thence upwardly and rearwardlyto the apex of the device at the upper edge of the rim 1 and thencedownwardly and rearwardly to the strip 6. The portions of these strandsof wire 11 extending between the strips 3 and 7 complete the hypotenuseof the trian- The side and gle as noted above. Other strands of similarbarbed wire 12 are secured to the strip 3 and pass first upwardly andrearwardly over the cross brace 2 of the rim 1, thence horizontally tothe cross brace 10 and thence down wardly and rearwardly to the strip 6.The latter strands of barbed wire help to brace the device as well asaccumulate debris. The section is moored to the shore by cables 13 and14 attached to the ends of the upper rear edge of the rim 1. When inposition, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, the cable 13 nearest the bank isfastened to a stake 15 or other suitable projection. The other cable l lis fastened diagonally across the device and secured to another stake 16on the bank farther up stream. The front strip or plate 3 is weighteddown by rocks 17 or other suitable means. When the riprap has been inplace for a time, roots, leaves, sand and waste matter will accumulatethereon from the current -and a most effective protection for the shorewill be thereby afforded.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a device of the character described, which istriangular in longitudinal vertical section, of means to secure saiddevice on the bed of a stream with one of its lateral edges arrangedsubstantially parallel and in juxtaposition to the bank.

2. The combination, with a device of the character described, which isrectangular in plan and triangular in longitudinal, vertical section, ofmeans to secure said device on the bed of a stream with one of itslateral edges arranged substantially parallel and in juxtaposition tothe bank.

3. The combination, with a device of the character described, which istriangular in longitudinal vertical section, of means for securing saiddevice 011 the bed of a stream with its longest side down and one of itslateral edges arranged substantially parallel and in juxtaposition tothe bank.

4:. The combination, with a device of the character described, which istriangular in longitudinal vertical section, of means for securing saiddevice on the bed of a stream with its longest side down, its nextlongest side facing upstream and one of its lateral edges arrangedsubstantially parallel and in juxtaposition to the bank.

5. The combination, with a device of the character described, which ismade in the form of a right angle triangle in longitudinal verticalsection, of means to secure said device on the bed of a stream with itslongest side down and one of its lateral edges arranged substantiallyparallel and in juxtaposition to the bank.

6. The combination, with a device of the character described, which ismade in the form of a right angle triangle in longitudinal verticalsection, one of the sides of the device which are arranged at rightangles to each other being longer than the other, of means to securesaid device on the bed of a stream with its longest side down, its nextlongest side facing upstream and one of its lateral edges arrangedsubstantially parallel and in juxtaposition to the bank.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination, with arectangular rigid rim arranged on an inclined plane, of rigid bentpieces secured at their ends to the upper edge of said rim and havingvertical portions and horizontal rearwardly extending portions, and rowsof barbed wire attached to said rim and bent pieces making the device asa whole triangular in longitudinal section.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination, with arectangular rigid rim arranged on an inclined plane, of rigid bentpieces secured at their ends to the upper edge of said rim and havingvertical portions and horizontal rearwardly extending portions, rigidplates extending across the lower edge of said rim and across thehorizontal portions of said bent pieces, and rows of barbed wireattached to said rim and bent pieces making the device as a wholetriangular in longitudinal vertical section.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination, with arectangular rigid rim arranged on an inclined plane, of rigid bentpieces secured at their ends to the upper edge of said rim and havingvertical portions and horizontal rearwardly extending portions, rigidplates extending across the lower edge of said rim and across thehorizontal portions of said bent pieces, rows of barbed wire attached tosaid rim and bent pieces making the device as a whole triangular inlongitudinal vertical section, means for securing said device to thebank of a stream with the hypotenuse of the triangle resting upon thebed of the stream, and one leg of the triangle facing up stream, andmeans for weighting down the front edge of the device.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination, with aninclined rigid rim of bent strips extending downwardly and thencerearwardly from the upper edge of said rim, said rearwardly extendingportions being arranged in a horizontal plane, a plate extending acrossand connecting the rear ends of said bent strips, and rows of barbedwire running from the lower edge of said inclined rim over the upperedge thereof and down to said plate.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination, With aninclined rigid rim of bent strips extending downwardly and thencerearwardly from the upper edge of said rim, said rearwardly extendingportions being arranged in a horizontal plane, a plate extending acrossand connecting the rear ends of said bent strips, and rows of barbedwire running from the lower edge of said inclined rim up to the upperedge thereof, thence down to said plate, and thence forward again. tothe lower edge of the rim, making the device as a whole triangular inlongitudinal vertical section.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination, with aninclined rigid rim having a cross brace about midway thereof, of bentstrips extending downwardly and thence rearwardly from the upper edge ofsaid rim, said rearwardly extending portions being arranged in ahorizontal plane, braces extending from the vertical portions of theoutside bent pieces to the sides of the inclined rim and connecting tothe latter at the ends of said cross brace, a cross brace secured to thevertical portions of said bent pieces about midway thereof, a plateextending across and connecting the rear ends of said bent pieces, rowsof barbed wire running from the lower edge of said inclined rim up tothe upper edge thereof, thence downward to said plate thence forwardagain to the lower edge of said rim, and other rows of barbed wirerunning from the lower edge of said rim up to the cross brace thereof,thence rearward to the cross brace of said bent pieces and thencedownward to said plate at the rear end of said bent pieces. In testimonywhereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WVALTER AIRHART. Witnesses:

L. E. VHITCHER, EDNA B. PATE.

